Electric circuit-breaker



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. C. L. BRUNS.

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT BREAKER.

No. 329,808. Patented Nov. 3, 1885.

N. PETERS. Photo-Lllhognpher. Wisfnqglon. D. C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

O. L. BRUNS.

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT BREAKER.

No. 329,808. Patented Ndv. 3, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER L. BRUNS, OF BERGEN POINT, NEWV JERSEY.

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,808, dated November3, 1885.

Application filed August 21, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER L. BRUNS, United States Navy, of BergenPoint, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Electric Circuit Breakers or Relays, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My improved instrument may be employed in any situation where it isdesired to close and break an electric circuit or to establish anddisestablish the continuity of an electric conductor; but it isespecially useful and intended for establishing and disestablishing theelectric continuity of two rail-sections insulated from each other in anelectric railwaysignal system such as is shown and described in myapplication for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 173,236, filedAugust 1, 1885.

The object of my invention has been to provide an instrument in whichthe moving parts ,shall be so balanced that but little power beyond thatnecessary to overcome friction shall be required to move them, which isdestitute of springs, and does not require adjustment after being onceset or adjusted, and which is of such construction that it will not belikely to get out of order, nor liable to have its moving partsdisplaced by vibrations or jars.

The invention consists in novel features of construction andcombinations of parts here inafter described, and pointed out in theclaims. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section ofmy improved instrument. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof, and Figs. 3 and 4 areside elevations of one part of the instrument,

illustrating slight modifications of my invention.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in bothfigures.

A designates the side frames, which, as shown, are connected bycross-rails or stretchers A, and are secured to a base, B. At oppositesides of the center are arranged two magnets, C 0, each shown as havingtwo coils and operating upon armatures D D. The two armatures D D areattached to and carried by two levers, E E, which are fulcrumed at a,and arranged side by side in reversed positions. Between the two magnetsis a rocker, F, fulcrumed or centered at b, and having its upperarc-shaped or segmental Serial No. 174,950. (No model.)

portion composed in part of non-conducting material 0, and in part of ametal plate or other conducting material, (Z.

G G designate the two wires or conductors wherein electric continuity isto be established or broken, and which terminate in springcontact-fingers e 6, arranged side by side, and bearing on the top ofthe rocker F. It will be obvious that when the spring-fingers e are incontact with the metal plate d, as shown in the drawings, the electriccontinuity through the wires G is established, or the circuit is closed;but when the rocker is shifted so that the spring-contacts 6 rest uponthe non-conducting surfaces 0 of the rocker, the electric continuity ofthe wires G is interrupt :d, or the circuit is broken. Of course a likeresult would be obtained by dispensing with one of the spring-contactse, and connecting the wire G thereof with the metal plate (1. The rockerF is provided near its fulcrum b with toes or cams ff, extending inopposite directions, and the levers E E are provided with hooks g g,which engage the toes or cams ff. Each lever E or E has at one end anarmature, D or D, and at the other end a hook, g or g.

From the above description the operation of the instrument will bereadily understood. The two magnets O G are connected by wires h h intwo different circuits. \Vhen the magnet Gis energized,its armature Dwill be drawn down, and by raising the hooked end of the lever E and thetoe or cam f, on which it acts, will swing the rocker F into theposition shown in the drawings, and establish electric continuitythrough the spring-contacts e and the wires G. WVhen the me gnet O isenergized, the armature D will be drawn down, thereby raising the hookedend 9 of the lever E and the toe or cam f, on which it acts, and therebythe rocker E will be swung into the reverse position to that shown, andinterrupt electric continuity through the contacts 6 and wires G, orbreak the circuit through them.

I have here shown adj Listing-screws 6, provided with jam-nuts t, whichform stops to limit the upward movement of the levers E E and the extentof movement of the rocker F. These screws are only needed to set oradjust the instrument before any use, and are not to be afterwardadjusted. Pins projecting downward from the stretchers A to a determineddistance, and there soldered fast, would therefore answer every purposenecessary for the screws 2'.

The fulerums a b of the levers E E and rocker F may be supported in anysuitable manner. I have here shown pivotscrews j, in which the fulcrumshave conical bearings, and which are provided with jam-nuts j, so thatthey may be set to permit the free movements of the levers.

It will be seen that the instrument is very simple having no delicateadj ustments, and no parts liable to get out of order, nor any springs.The levers E E always balance each other, as the armature end of eachmust rise when the corresponding end of the other is drawn down; hencethere is little resistance to overcome beyond that due to friction, andthe moving parts will not be displaced by vibrations or jars.

It will be understood that the length of movement given the head or topof the rocker F may be regulated as desired by varying the distance ofmovement of the armatures, the length of the arms of thearmature-levers, the length of the cams or toesff, and the length orheight of the rocker F. The force of mag netic attraction varies as thesquare of the distance, and hence by properly proportioning the aboveconditions there can be obtained, by a very slight movement of thearmatures, a very considerable movement of the rocker.

In lieu of providing the rocker with a broad metallic plate, (Z, asshown, it may have its top entirely of non-conducting material, withavery narrow contact-strip,d,extending across it, as shown in Fig. 3; orit may have a metallic top, (2, so as to maintain the circuit nor mallyclosed, and a narrow strip or line, 0, of non-conducting material, asshown in Fig. 4, which will break the circuit when it passes thecontacts. The instrument may thus be adapted either for closing orbreaking a circuit instantaneously, and for an infinitely short space ortime.

XVheu thus constructed, the'instrumeut can be used for purposes ofinstantaneous photography, and for ordnance purposes for use inelectro-ballistics.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a circuitbreaker, the combination, with a rocker and contacts,whereby the electric continuity of the circuit is established orinterrupted, of electro-magnets on opposite sides of said rocker,reverselyarranged levers, each carrying at one end an armature for oneof said magnets, and having a hook at the other end, and toes or cams onthe rocker, with which the hooked ends of the armaturelevers engage,substantially as herein described.

2. The combination, with the rocker F and its contacts, whereby electriccontinuity is established or interrupted, of the magnets C G, the leversE E, carrying armatures D D at their one end and hooked at their otherend, 99', the toes or cams ff on the rocker, and stops for limiting theupward movement of the armature-levers, substantially as hereindescribed.

CHRISTOPHER L. BRUNS.

lVitnesses:

O. HALL, FREDK. IIAYNES.

